Historic Germantown Visitor Center Open

Visit Historic Germantown's new Visitor's Center to view two exhibits:

Permanent Exhibition: Deeply Rooted, Ever Changing: 300 Years in Germantown

A permanent exhibition on display at the Historic Germantown Visitor Center, Deeply Rooted, Ever Changing: 300 Years in Germantown, traces more than three centuries of transformation, highlighting the evolution of Germantown from its founding through the abolitionist movement, the Industrial Revolution, and the Civil Rights Movement. Artifacts on display include decorative arts, advertisements, posters, household items, a rare 1730s rooster-shaped weather vane from the German Reformed Church in Market Square, and a surveyor’s compass designed by American astrologer and mathematician, David Rittenhouse. Drawing from the Germantown Historical Society’s collections, the exhibition provides a window into the everyday lives, achievements, and challenges of the communities that called Germantown home.

Rotating Exhibition: Rebellion and Remembrance in Freedom’s Backyard |July 9 – December 1 2026

Serving as the Visitor Center’s first rotating exhibition, Rebellion and Remembrance in Freedom’s Backyard examines Germantown’s unique role in the American Revolution and how the events of that era helped shape the neighborhood’s identity for generations. Just six miles from Independence Hall, Germantown stood at the crossroads of revolutionary change. Home to descendants of German and British colonists, enslaved and free Africans, and Native peoples, the neighborhood witnessed the violence of war firsthand while also serving as a place where individuals sought and asserted their freedom. Featuring Revolutionary-era artifacts and documents, the exhibition explores how memories of battle, resistance, and liberation helped establish Germantown’s lasting reputation as “Freedom’s Backyard.” Among the exhibition’s highlights is a section of the historic Johnson House fence damaged during the Battle of Germantown, accompanied by a video simulation illustrating how the damage occurred during the conflict. Also debuting on July 9, the exhibition will remain on view through December 1, 2027.